Day 1 of Yoga and How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

My first day of the 31-Day Yoga Challenge was just so-so. It wasn’t awful, but I didn’t feel focused and refreshed after my yoga session like I had hoped.

For today’s practice, I did yogadownload.com’s 20-minute Yoga for Runners audio class. The class itself was excellent. (My practice, on the other hand, was less that stellar!) Yoga for Runners was designed with the runner in mind, and it is intended to be used after any athletic activity to stretch and lengthen your muscles. I ran 4.5 miles on the treadmill this morning, so I thought it would be the perfect complimentary workout.

As a beginner, the Yoga for Runners class was difficult for me. (It’s technically an intermediate level class.) The hamstring and hip stretching as well as the core and strength work were great, and I liked those parts a lot. But, a number of times during the audio class, I found myself losing my balance and slow, rhythmic breathing– I actually found myself out-of-breath at times! I also didn’t have much focus as my mind wander onto what to eat for lunch once my stomach started growling! Meh.

I definitely have a long way to go with this yoga stuff! I’ve gotta start somewhere though, right? My yoga practice can only get better from this point on as long as I keep it up!

Feel free to leave your Day #1 Yoga Challenge experiences in the comments section of this post. I can’t wait to hear what everyone has to say!! I’ll compile your comments sometime this evening and add them to the 31-Day Yoga Challenge page.

To start off your 31-Days of Yoga on the right foot, YogaDownload.com is giving all CNC readers 50% off all downloads for the month of March! The coupon code to enter at checkout is CarrotsNCake!

Spaghetti squash. Oh, how I have missed you!

I’ve been meaning to cook-up a batch of spaghetti squash for weeks now, so I was psyched when it finally went on sale at Stop & Shop last week.

I topped my spaghetti squash with garlic-sauteed mushrooms, marinara sauce, and some Parmesan cheese.

I was mmm-ing non-stop while eating my spaghetti squash lunch this afternoon. I forgot how much I love this stuff!

I didn’t add any Olivio to the mix, but the spaghetti squash sort of tasted buttery to me. So delish!

1. Preheat oven to 350*F.

2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise.

3. Using a spoon, scrape out the seeds in each half.

4. Bake the halves face-down on a lightly oiled tray for about 30-35 minutes, or until the skin-side of the squash can be pierced with a fork.

5. Allow the baked squash to cool for about 20-25 minutes, then use a fork to scrape-out (length-wise) the “spaghetti” strands from the skin.

FYI: A small, whole spaghetti squash will yield a TON of cooked squash! Spaghetti squash stores well in a Tupperware container in the fridge and tastes great reheated in the microwave.

P.S. I think there is more yoga on the agenda for tonight, too!